Mumbai International Film Festival begins, Bangladesh is ‘Country of Focus’ this time

A special package of 11 films from Bangladesh including the critically acclaimed film ‘Hasina- A Daughter’s Tale’ will be presented at MIFF 2022.

New Delhi: The 17th edition of the Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Short Fiction and Animation films (MIFF-2022) began with a colorful opening ceremony at the Nehru Centre, Worli in Mumbai on Sunday.

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Textiles Piyush Goyal inaugurated the seven-day festival organised by the Films Division of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. To promote wider participation, MIFF 2022 has been organised in hybrid mode, and online viewing of films is free for all those who register at https://miff.in, said the Festival Director Ravindra Bhakar.

In commemoration of Bangladesh’s 50 years of Independence the country has been chosen as the ‘Country of Focus’ this year. A special package of 11 films from Bangladesh including the critically acclaimed film ‘Hasina- A Daughter’s Tale’ will be presented at MIFF 2022.

At the opening ceremony, the coveted Dr V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award was conferred upon veteran documentary film maker and author Sanjit Narwekar, for his contribution to films through his writings especially film history and the documentary film movement. Narwekar has written and edited more than 20 books on cinema, including ‘Marathi Cinema in Retrospect’, which won him the Swarna Kamal at the National Film Awards. The V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award carries a cash prize of Rs 10 lakhs (Rs 1 million), Golden Conch and a citation.  This award is instituted in memory of legendary filmmaker V Shantaram, who was closely associated with Films Division as Honorary Chief Producer during the 1950s.

At the opening ceremony, the coveted Dr V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award was conferred upon veteran documentary film maker and author Sanjit Narwekar, for his contribution to films through his writings especially film history and the documentary film movement. Narwekar has written and edited more than 20 books on cinema, including ‘Marathi Cinema in Retrospect’, which won him the Swarna Kamal at the National Film Awards. The V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award carries a cash prize of Rs 10 lakhs (Rs 1 million), Golden Conch and a citation.  This award is instituted in memory of legendary filmmaker V Shantaram, who was closely associated with Films Division as Honorary Chief Producer during the 1950s.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Piyush Goyal said those who produce art films, documentary films and animation films are kind of a Start-Up seeding new ideas and play role of messengers in the country.  He said today there are multiple avenues like silver screen, television, OTT etc are available to spread the message across the world, thus giving an opportunity for such ‘start-ups’ to become ‘Unicorns’.

The minister said Lata Mangeshkar was an inspiration for many artistes and musicians and through art she took India’s history, tradition and heritage to the world. “Let us explore ways as to how we can institutionalize Lata Didi’s role for the country, the city of Mumbai and the Cinema world itself

Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur in his video message said, “Documentary cinema creates the most significant impact. It not only educates inspires and motivates a change in the society, but also acts as a tool that transcends cultures and boundaries.”

The minister also mentioned that MIFF provides a platform where documentary film makers from all over the world get to exchange ideas and explore the possibilities of co-productions and marketing of documentary, short and animation films. He said that this opportunity eventually broadens the vision of the film makers’ vis-à-vis world cinema.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Dr L Murugan in his address spoke about the efforts made to promote Indian cinema globally. He also pointed out how India has made a greater presence at the Cannes Film Festival and said Shaunak Sen’s film ‘All That Breathes’ made India proud by winning the Best Documentary award. The minister said that the government has announced incentives for international filmmakers and co-productions especially for feature films, animation films, documentary films and web-series. “AVGC sector promotion is happening in a great way. PM’s call for Digital India and Startup India and Indian contingent at Cannes showcased our culture and ethos,” he proudly recalled.

Members of the International Jury — Subbiah Nallamuthu; Anant Vijay; Meena Rad (France); Jeean Piree Saire (France); Dan Wolman (Israel), and the National Jury — Sanjit Narvekar; Subash Sehgal; Jayshree Bhattacharya; Ashley Ratanavibhushana (Sri Lanka) and Tareq Ahmed (Bangladesh) were felicitated during the ceremony.

Minister of State for Railways, Coal and Mines, Raosaheb Patil Danve; Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Ramdas Athawale; Minister of State for Panchayati Raj Shri Kapil Moreshwar Patil; Minister of State for Finance; Dr. Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad;  award winning filmmaker Shaji Karun, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting Ms. Neerja Shekhar,  filmmaker Kiran Shantaram, film maker Rahul Rawail, actor Dalip Tahil were prominent among those present.

Opening Fare at MIFF 2022 and other highlights

Manipuri documentary film ‘Meiram – The Fireline (33 mins)’, Animation film from France, ‘Castaway’ (6 mins) and short fiction film from Japan Shabu-Shabu Spirit (10 mins) opened the 17th edition of MIFF.

This edition will offer around 400 films that have reached the festival from across the world. Out of these, 102 films will be screened under the Competition Category – 35 in international competition and 67 in national competition. The screenings will be held at the state-of-the-art auditoriums (auditoria) located in the Films Division complex on Pedder Road.